Voice phishing syndicate member falls

Operatives from the Bureau of Immigration arrested a South Korean fugitive who was wanted in Seoul for engaging in telecommunications fraud.

BI commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the suspect as Byun Jonghyun, who was arrested on 18 December in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City by BI Fugitive Search Unit operatives.

Tansingco said that Byun will be deported immediately as an order for his summary deportation was already issued by the BI board of commissioners last September 2022.

He added that Byun's name was already placed in the Immigration blacklist and is now banned from reentering the Philippines for being an undesirable alien.

According to BI-FSU acting chief Rendell Ryan Sy, Byun is also the subject of an Interpol red notice issued in April 2020 which stemmed from a warrant of arrest issued against him by the Seoul Central District court, where the suspect was charged for violating the telecommunications business act in his country.

Korean authorities also alleged that Byun is a member of an organized crime syndicate based in Manila that defrauds their compatriots back home by engaging in voice phishing operations.

It is estimated that the syndicate's earnings from the racket already amounted to more than 674 million won, or roughly half a million dollars.

Byun is now detained at the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, while awaiting his deportation to Korea.

Meantime, the BI chief disclosed that on Christmas Eve, the agency had processed a total of 31,992 arrivals at all international airport in the country.

Majority of the international passengers arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, with Terminal 1 welcoming 10,047 passengers, while Terminals 2 and 3 welcoming 4,646 and 12,615 travelers respectively.